Two step abrasive sharpener

ABSTRACT

An abrasive sharpener having a housing supporting a pair of sharpening slots having abrasive elements mounted therein. The bottom of the housing is formed with an open V-shaped groove for supporting the housing on the edge of a table, bench and the like. The bottom further includes a pair of flat bottom surfaces separated by the V-shaped groove for supporting the housing on a flat surface. The V-shaped groove is opened ended and extends along an axis generally perpendicular to the direction that a knife edge and the like is pulled through either slot for sharpening.

This application claims priority to provisional application, Ser. No.61/069,649 filed Mar. 14, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to abrasive sharpeners, and more particularly,more particularly, to a two-step abrasive sharpener having a bottomV-shaped groove.

2. Summary of the Prior Art

It is well known to use sharpeners for knives having two steps ofsharpening, namely a course grind and fine sharpening grind. One problemassociated with such sharpeners occurs when a sharpening operation isperformed on a surface, such as a table or counter. During the normalsharpening stroke through abrasive elements, the blade of the knifebeing sharpened often strikes the counter to damage the alreadysharpened blade and the counter. Such damage requires the user to repeatthe sharpening of the blade. Therefore, it is desirable in the prior artto provide an abrasive sharpener capable of avoiding impact between theknife being sharpened and the sharpener support surface.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an objective of the invention to provide an improvedtwo-step sharpener that avoids impact between the sharpener supportsurface and the blade being sharpened. The sharpener here employs twoabrasive stations created by crossed carbide abrasive blades and crossedceramic rods. The base of the sharpener of the invention includes aV-shaped open groove on which the sharpener base can be supported on theedge of a counter and the like during a sharpening operation. Such apositioning of the sharpener further provides for a more natural,comfortable sharpening stroke by an individual.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of two step abrasive sharpener of theinvention;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view of the sharpener of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an bottom plan view of the sharpener of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is an opposite end elevational view of the sharpener of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, there is illustrated the two-step abrasivesharpener of the invention, generally designated by reference numeral 2.The sharpener 2 has a housing 4 formed with opposite concave cut-outportions 6 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to provide handle areas to permit a user tograsp and support the sharpener 2 while sharpening a knife. A pair ofupper slots 10 a,10 b (FIG. 1) are created in upper portion 12 ofhousing 4 and respectively have V-slots in the form of a pair of crossedceramic abrasive rods 14 and a pair of crossed carbide abrasive blades16. The abrasive rods 14 and the abrasive blades 16 are respectivelymounted in slots 10 a and 10 b in a conventional manner well known inthe art. The rods 14 provide a fine sharpening cut for straight orserrated edges as the blade is pulled through slot 10 a, while blades 16perform a more course sharpening cut to a blade. The blade having anedge being sharpened is pulled across the housing in either slots 10 aor slot 10 b for sharpening while the handle areas 6 are manuallygripped.

The bottom 20 of housing 4 has a pair of spaced flat base surfaces 22extending the length of housing 4. The flat surfaces 22 are centrallyseparated by a V-shaped open groove or slot 24 that extends the lengthof base 4 generally perpendicular to the direction of movement of theblade being sharpened through slots 10 a or 10 b and has open ends asseen in FIGS. 1-3. The V-groove 24 includes a pair of sloped flatsurfaces 26 and 28 lying at a selected angle, such as 90° to eachtogether, and the surfaces 26 and 28 are of generally equal widths thatare alternatively arranged to bear directly against a support surface(not shown) such as a table, counter, bench or the like, at its edgeduring a sharpening operation. Either surface 26 or surface 28 may beused to contact the edge of the support surface as desired. It should beapparent that the base is supported on either surfaces 26 or surface 28of groove 24 as the sharpener 2 bears against the counter or table edgewhile the sharpener 2 is held by the user in one hand. The user can thenmove a knife (not shown) through a selected slot 10 a or slot 10 b withthe other hand. Because of the positioning of the sharpener 2 at theedge of the table or counter, damaging contact between a knife and acounter during a sharpening stroke is avoided. Further, a more natural,comfortable sharpening stroke for the user occurs as a result ofsharpener being on the edge of the counter or table. The sharpener 2 canalso be supported on a flat surface by housing surfaces 22 in anorientation flat on a table, bench, counter, and the like.

1. An abrasive sharpener comprising a body having at least onesharpening slot, at one abrasive sharpening element being mounted issaid slot, and said body having a bottom for contacting a supportsurface during sharpening, and said bottom is formed with an openV-shaped configuration.
 2. The abrasive sharpener according to claim 1wherein said V-shaped configuration of said bottom of said housing formsa pair of angularly arranged support surfaces.
 3. The abrasive sharpeneraccording to claim 2 wherein said V-shaped configuration is formed by anopen V-shaped groove.
 4. The abrasive sharpener according to claim 3wherein said V-shaped groove is open-ended.
 5. The abrasive sharpeneraccording to claim 4 wherein said bottom of said housing includes a pairof flat lower surfaces, said flat lower surfaces being separated by saidV-shape groove.
 6. The abrasive sharpener according to claim 4 whereinsaid V-shaped groove extends along an axis generally perpendicular tosaid at least one sharpening slot.